The invention concerns a bathtub assembly for handicapped persons, with a base, a lifting plate, a guide frame between them which consists of at least two scissors-like rocking lever sets and a pressure-operated lift for lifting the plate, and a manually-operated valve for controlling the lift.
Such a bathtub assembly is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,772,721. In accordance with the present invention the tub assembly can be inexpensively constructed, in technically simple manner and, at the same time, its handling can be improved.
This task is achieved by the invention in that the lift consists of at least one collapsible tube or bellows with closed ends, the wall of which bends but for the most part does not expand, which tube or bellows folds flat when the lifting plate is lowered, has a water connection, and is in essentially flat position after filling it has been filed with water.
In the bathtub assembly disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,772,721, the lift has a pressure cylinder that is supplied by a pressure pump with a pressure medium. The cylinder is positioned in prone position on the bottom, and its branch rod fits on the guide frame. The pressure cylinder is supplied with a high pressure by means of the pump, because in the initial lifting only a very small operating force component in the direction of lift is available. In lowered position, the lift table is still at a considerable distance from the bottom because otherwise no vertical force component at all can be achieved in the initial extension of the cylinder. Thus little advantage can be taken of the depth of the tub. Also, the known assembly can be used only for sitting. Another disadvantage is that in the lifting motion the lift table moves horizontally as well as vertically.